Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Poetry Library Southbank Centre - The Poetry Library housing the Arts Council Collection at Southbank Centre

« Previous item
Contents of this issue
Next item »

Al Masarik

print this page

passing in review

my wife meets my new love
the three of us thinking we
can work it out
& they sit there quietly
uneasy as kids in a
roomful of grown-ups
& they'd wanted to talk
but the words come slowly
there is talk of cat shit
& income tax & Agatha Christie
as they appraise
each other's beauty
the room thick with smoke
& me feeling like hot shit
some cocky little general
watching his troops parade.

I leave with my new love
& it's not been like this
before
I don't have to come to her
carrying my wife's eyes
& we make it four times
in maybe two hours
& that's pretty good
we're thinking
it's so much easier
now & every time it's different
she says
coming together without trying
her cats climbing all over us
it's magic.

the next time I hold my wife
it's like embracing the inside
of a balloon.

Page(s) 111-112

Back to top